Townsville Bulletin - Townsville Weekend
IO things to do in Boston
From baseball and bayside shopping to waterfront dining and history, this East Coast US city has the lot
1 Enjoy some freedom
Follow the 4km red line through the main streets of this East Coast city and walk the Freedom Trail that snakes its way past more than a dozen of Boston’s historic sites. You’ll find your way to the city’s museums, churches, burial grounds and the Old Corner Bookstore – built in 1718, it’s the city’s oldest commercial building. thefreedomtrail.org
2 Cheer on the Red Sox
See Bostonians cheer on the city’s professional baseball team. The Boston Red Sox play elite Major League Baseball and, so far, they’ve won an impressive nine World Series Championships. Games at the home ground, Fenway Park, sell out fast, so you’ll need to move even faster to snag a ticket. mlb.com/redsox
3 Take a duck tour
Boston’s iconic, brightly-coloured amphibious “duckmobiles” are a unique way to explore the city’s distinct neighbourhoods. Equally comfortable in the water and on the road, you’ll see Boston from a different perspective and get an entertaining take on Boston’s history from the “conducktor”. Each tour ends with a splash, with passengers seeing the Boston skyline from the waters of the Charles River. bostonducktours.com
Browse in Bay Village
For some Instagramable pictures, head to the pretty Boston neighbourhood of Bay Village. You’ll find the rows of redbrick townhouses that were built around the time Boston was founded. Some streets have original gas street lamps and Art Deco warehouses converted into very expensive real estate. boston-discovery-guide.com
5 Get to know a president
He was only in office for 1000 days but the legend of President John F Kennedy endures. The John F Kennedy Presidential Library Museum on the Columbia Point waterfront brings to life his White House reign with displays of John and Jackie Kennedys’ personal possessions, gifts they received while in office and the plaque that JFK kept on his Oval Office desk. jfklibrary.org
6 Shop til you drop
For a special Boston keepsake head to Newbury St in the Back Bay area for fashion, jewellery, art, tech, homewares and books. It’s Boston’s answer to Fifth Ave or Rodeo Dr. Dine at Sonsie – the shrimp scampi with linguine is worth every dollar. Or have a coffee at Thinking Cup – Boston Magazine voted it the best coffee shop in town. newburystboston.com
7 Discover Quincy Market
Quincy Market in South Market St is almost 200 years old. It spreads over three buildings and is open for business seven days a week. There’s a free guided tour each day, or wander at your leisure. The food hall is a popular spot for locals to meet over a hot butter lobster roll or a steaming cup of clam chowder at Boston & Maine Fish company. quincy-market.com
8 Visit Martha’s Vineyard
Martha’s Vineyard is an island off the Massachusetts coast. Book a day tour with pick-ups in downtown Boston and sit back for the 2.5-hour bus and ferry trip to the island. Tours take in the Hampton-style mansions, the spectacular Cape Cod views, the landmark lighthouse at Aquinnah, and the old-style shops in Edgartown. Tours cost around $180. newenglandtripsinc.com
9 On the waterfront
The Envoy Hotel is one of Boston’s newer hotels and can’t be beaten for its location in the trendy Seaport district. Each room has been individually designed and floor-to-ceiling windows maximise the views. The rooftop bar has city and harbour views. theenvoyhotel.com
10 Have a laugh
Boston’s live comedy clubs have helped some of America’s funniest hone their craft – Amy Poehler and Conan O’Brien found their feet in Boston. Try Nick’s Comedy Stop in Bay Village or Laugh Boston in the Seaport District. laughboston.com
Queensland can be an easy place to unwittingly take for granted. So it was – quite literally – a breath of fresh air to spend a soul-filling, twoday trip in the beauty of the world-class Sunshine Coast, barely an hour’s drive north of Brisbane.
With my four-year-old, Energizerbunny daughter as my travel companion, a lazy 48 hours sipping a wine with a good book was not an option.
But thank goodness for that. Because instead, we embarked on an animal-filled adventure in the Glass House Mountains, taking in some of the spectacular natural beauty – and getting up close and personal with more than a few furry friends.
Our first stop was QCamel – the only certified organic camel dairy in the world – about a 15-minute drive from Beerwah, and I was unsure of what to expect from a visit with these unique creatures.
But with the delightful duo of QCamel founder Lauren Brisbane and daughter Yasmin as our guides, any nervousness walking alongside these towering animals was quickly allayed.
Lauren told our tour that the mighty animals – they have about 100 on their property – were more akin to elephants than anything, and a few moments in their gentle presence proved that to be true.
QCamel has become a leader with its organic milk products, which are spruiked as having multiple health benefits, including being rich in nutrients and more tolerable to people with a lactose intolerance. And seeing how the camels are carefully milked was an incredible experience.
But the real joy came with a “camel cuddle”, a chance to get up close with these gentle giants all named – “that’s Pepper, that’s Fraser, that’s Freya, careful she’s the cheeky one”.
After getting our fill of camel cuddles, we set off for a 25-minute drive to Pizzeria Sisily at Golden Beach in Caloundra, an authentic Sicilian pizzeria tucked alongside its sister venue, Café Sisily.
With a broad offering of both “red” and “white”-base pizzas, delicious hot and cold starters and sumptuous pasta mains, we opted to try a delicious garlic wood-fired pizza, an exquisite duck liver pate, and a tasty side of Italian broccoli leaves, followed by some sumptuous gelato. After our lunch we headed back into the hinterland to Beerwah, checking into the breathtakingly-tranquil Seven Peaks Farm Stay which we would call home for the weekend. The two of us were lucky enough to spend the night in the Seven Peaks’ brand new stunning, three-bedroom
Ginger Cottage, lovingly appointed with luxury items and cosy furnishings.
My daughter was most taken with the gorgeous back deck, with a hanging egg chair swing and a glorious outlook on to the farm’s creek, complete with a private fire pit. But I couldn’t go past the wonderfully designed main kitchen and living space, which included a perfect picture window offering stunning mountain views – plus owners’ Graham and Jenny’s horses and chickens.
Speaking of which, come 3pm guests were invited to help feed the farm animals – a collection of friendly horses, chickens, ducks and cows spread across the picturesque 13.7ha property.
Along with the Ginger Cottage we were able to call home, Seven Peaks boasts six luxury cabins with those all-important mountain views – perfect for a romantic weekend or, like us, for a family adventure.
After a beautiful breakfast thanks to our
Seven Peaks Farm Stay
181 Old Peachester Rd, Beerwah
Ginger Cottage: from $540 a night Cabins: from $385 a night (2 night min) sevenpeaksfarmstay.com.au qcamel.com.au malenybotanicgardens.com.au
farm hamper including fresh farm eggs and produce grown in the gardens – we set off for a visit to the Maleny Botanic Gardens and Bird World, a scenic half an hour drive away. On the guided 50-minute walkthrough aviary tour we’re warned that these beautiful birds were not always polite – and hats, jewellery and sparkly buttons were best covered or removed.
But the stunning birds are affectionate and friendly, curiously popping between shoulders and heads for an experience which is an absolute must.
Before heading back to the city, we capped off our week with a stop at Maleny Food Co – a gem of a find with more than 200 cheeses and award-winning gelato.
The writer was a guest of Seven Peaks Farm Stay and Visit Sunshine Coast